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Illegal motion picture and television piracy is a thriving
international enterprise. The Motion Picture Association (MPA)
estimates that its member companies lose approximately
US$1.2 billion each year in potential revenue in the
Asia-Pacific region alone, and US$6.1 billion globally.
Sixty two percent of the $6.1 billion loss results was from
piracy of hard goods such as DVDs, while thirty eight
percent is from internet piracy. Piracy rates (calculated as
legitimate revenue plus estimated revenue lost to piracy in
each market) are highest in China (90 percent), Russia (79
percent) and Thailand (79 percent).
The worldwide motion picture industry, including foreign and
domestic producers, distributors, theaters, video stores and
pay-per-view operators, lose $18.2 billion each year as a
result of piracy. A 2005 survey by MPA and LEK Consulting
found the typical pirate is age 16-24 and male.
In many countries, MPA member company losses are far
outstripped by production, theatrical exhibition, home video
distribution losses to local industry, as well as losses to
governments in uncollected tax revenues. Consumer spending
losses on filmed entertainment worldwide are estimated at
US$18.2 billion.
In 2007, the MPA's operations in the Asia-Pacific region
investigated more than 36,200 cases of piracy and assisted
law enforcement officials in conducting nearly 13,000 raids.
These activities resulted in the seizure of more than 31
million illegal optical discs, 40 factory optical disc
production lines and 6,400 optical disc burners, as well as
the initiation of more than 10,000 legal actions. |
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